Running with wolves
by Buckbeak Ate My Wand
Summary: Bella has been left by Edward and after discovering the truth about the Quileute boys, she soon realises that she prefers fur to sparkles.  Rated T for language, angst, violence and semi-sexual content. Paul/Bella   other pairings
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

_Taming the Wolf_

My gaze lingered on the limp body in Sam's arms. Her face was turned away from my direction, but by the expression on Sam's face every time he looked at her, she wasn't looking her best. A small part of me pitied the fragile girl, but the majority of me believed she almost deserved this treatment. Despite the feelings Jacob had for the chick, she was seriously nothing special, and what could she expect from running with leeches?

I watched Charlie clenching his jaw as he took Bella from the arms of Sam, trying his hardest to hold it together Jacob watched from afar, anger evident on his face. It seemed we weren't the only ones who despised leeches, although Jacob didn't even know they existed. Idiot.

It wouldn't be long until he joined us. Billy knew that it was only a matter of time before Jacob phased, and we told him again and again to watch his back around Jacob but he seemed to be ignoring our advice.

Sam joined me soon after Charlie had taken his daughter into the house and closed the door. I stood silently with my fellow wolves, watching the scene before me unfold with little interest. Today had been a good day for the pack; the Cullen's were gone and had left quite a scar behind them for certain people, but for us this was a sacred day. No more leeches to watch.

I took a deep, shaky breath as my eyes focused on the small group by the edge of the forest where Bella and Sam had emerged earlier. I knew Sam had been watching Jacob almost the whole time, his reaction to this would have been quite entertaining were we not in such a situation. I narrowed my eyes slightly when he glanced at me; I could feel the curiosity seeping from his gaze but I couldn't miss the malice following it. He hated us for some reason. Well, I would find out soon anyway seeing as his thoughts wouldn't belong to him once he phased. I felt my lips curl into a smirk and Sam growl beside me, giving me an angry look before he turned and ran into the forest, Jared following close behind. I considered following them, but my attention was suddenly caught by a small face staring out the upstairs window of Charlie's house. The person in question was a girl who appeared to be around seventeen- eighteen. Her hair was bunched up in a messy bun, only excusing the odd few loose strands to hang around her face and she didn't even seem to notice when it became looser and looser until almost her whole fringe was hanging limply in front of her rich, brown eyes. I winced at the pain I felt for this girl…wait- pain? Why would I be feeling pain for this leech lover? She practically walked into this!

I felt my heart stop when her gaze caught mine from across the road. Such a painful gaze…filled with sorrow and regret and guilt. I felt overwhelmed by the emotions radiating from her tired eyes.

She was actually quite pretty in a strange kind of way. If I excused the dark bags under her eyes, and her untidy mass of hair, or the way her lips were curled downwards and the way her eyes stared lifelessly and alone over at me, she could have passed for beautiful. Her skin was ghostly pale, unhealthily pale. She could have passed for a leech with her skin complexion, although she didn't smell nearly as bad.

She reminded me of my mother. She too had long brown hair and chocolate eyes; haunted eyes.

I felt myself sway as Bella stared straight into my eyes. Her gaze was unsettling and before I could control myself, my eyes closed and my body hit the ground.

_**

* * *

**_

Nine years ago

_**April 4**__**th**__**- Paul's 10**__**th**__** birthday**_

"_Happy birthday, darling." _

_I gazed up at my mother and father with smiles on their faces as I unwrapped my first present. I was finally ten years old! My mother leapt forward to hug me and kiss my forehead whilst my father watched with a proud smile on his face. Everyone told me how much I looked like my father, and although I found it embarrassing most of the time, it was great to hear because father was a handsome man. My mother was a beautiful woman, with long flowing brown hair and sparkling brown eyes. She always smiled, and she had something to smile about too. Women in the reservation envied my mother because of her beauty and happiness; she had a handsome husband, a nice house, she was well off, and she had a son to be proud of. My mother descended from the original people to settle in La Push; in fact she was distantly related to Ephraim Black, which made me distantly related to Jacob Black, who was on of the local kids from La Push._

_Although, my mother's past wasn't as crystal as her present. She had been abused as a child by her alcoholic father and her mother had died during childbirth. We rarely brought up her past, and the occasional times it was the topic of a conversation, we soon changed the subject. My father had had an easy life; his parents had been wealthy and lived in Hunting Valley in Ohio. Unfortunately, when father had told them that he was planning on proposing to mother, they didn't approve. Mother was from a respectable family, they were quite well off and mother was the beauty of La Push…but she wasn't quite enough for my grandparents. _

"_Thankyou!"I grinned, holding up my new toy car. _

"_See," my father said, elbowing my mother playfully, "told you he'd love it." he smirked and reached over to ruffle my hair up._

_The rest of the day was great; my father drove us to the local restaurant and I stuffed my face with treats. This had to be the best birthday I'd ever had, just because everyone was having a really good time and we were all happy._

_But things changed when we got home; mother made a joke about how fathers' parents hadn't bothered to even drop a message to say happy birthday to me. She had only meant it as a joke, but because father had drank a little, his reactions were exaggerated and comments that he would usually let slide would really get his back up._

_I was sent to bed by mother just before father could reply to her. I'm glad I was; I didn't want to get caught in the middle of an argument between mother and father._

_They argued for almost an hour before I heard a door slam and the sound of a car reversing out of the drive. My mother cried that night and father didn't return for a whole week. Today had been one of the best days of my life, but also one of the worse._

_**

* * *

**_

Christmas Day

_**Six years ago**_

_Christmas day should have been a joyous day, but not for this family. Since my tenth birthday, father had started drinking and now I'm 13. I was shocked he hadn't died of alcohol poisoning yet. Sometimes I wish he had because he ruined my life; I hated him- no, really- I hated him._

_We should have had traditional Christmas pudding today, but that wasn't possible because father had drunk the Brandy. Actually, not only had he drank the Brandy, but he had raided the whole house for any alcoholic drink and drank it before anyone noticed. Mother was careful not to buy any alcohol related drinks anymore, in fact, since the first incident on my birthday she had never touched the foul stuff again. _

_Father hadn't been in all day and when he was, he was drunk and decided to pop by at ten o'clock at night. I can't say it was a very eventful Christmas day. _

_I honestly had never heard my parents shouting so loudly at each other; I had never seen my mother so angry either. I watched from the corner of the stairs whilst my parents screamed at each other. _

_My father was practically tripping over his own feet, and had to hold onto the work surface to stay balanced. His eyes were out of focus, and he seemed to be trying his hardest to form his words properly but they only sounded slurred and exaggerated. He looked like an idiot._

_I watched silently, shaking slightly with anger as he dared to insult my mother and accuse her of inexcusable things that were obviously lies. I don't know how she could just stand there and let him call her such foul names; if that were me, I'd have him against the work surface and kick the shit out of him!_

_I glanced up at the clock. It was almost 11pm and the whole neighbourhood was quiet apart from our house. It was so embarrassing to admit that he was my father; he had changed so much and all the arguing and screaming every night had made people avoid going near our house._

_My fellow students gossiped about my family; they whispered behind my back when they thought I wasn't listening. They said that my mother wasn't as pure and innocent as she seemed, that she had other men in her life and openly flirted with them around her husband. They said it was all her fault that father had drinking problems because she was such a whore. Sometimes, I found myself picturing how I wanted to punish those prats for spreading bollocks. I found myself shaking uncontrollably, clenching my fists to prevent myself from smashing their faces in. My mother wasn't a whore, and the sooner they learnt that the better._

_I was torn from my thoughts by a loud gasp from the kitchen, and my father came rushing through the hall with his fist clenched and his eyes blazing with anger. The front door slammed shut behind him, and once again the sound of a speeding car was heard from outside. God only knows how he hadn't killed himself yet from drink driving._

_The following morning, mother greeted me as normal with a smile on her face, only this time she couldn't hide the sorrow in her eyes. Just before I left for school, I reached up to place a kiss on my mother's cheek and grabbed my bags._

_She must have thought I was stupid if I hadn't noticed the purple bruise on her cheek._

_**

* * *

**_

Three years ago

_**Sixteen years old**_

_Mother was out with her friends at the time and I don't blame her; if I still had Jared to talk to then I would probably be out this damned house all the time. But me and Jared never spoke anymore, not since he was introduced to Sam Uley. What was with that guy? He obviously thought he was special or something because he walked around like he owned the place! Not only did we never talk anymore, but I never saw him around school because he was always with Sam. I didn't see what was so interesting about him anyway; he really was just a butch guy on steroids who thought he was the leader of La Push. Actually, Jared was also a butch guy on steroids to be honest; he never used to look like that. He changed so much in a matter of weeks!_

_Dad hardly even bothers to go to work anymore, luckily though today he did. I needed a rest from the heartless bastard. Mom practically avoids him now, I think everyone tries to actually. The gossip died down after a few months, although the ghost of those foul rumours still lingered on the family. I hated everyone for the disgusting names they called my mom. She never deserved such treatment._

_The majority of my time is spent either in my room or wandering along the shore line. I suppose it's relaxing in a way, but with all the shit going on in my life, reality can't hide away forever. I'm reminded of that when I finally hear my dad's heavy footsteps on the stairs, making their way to my room. I rush forward to keep a firm hold on the door handle before he could barge in unwelcome. _

_The handle rattles a few times as he tries with all his strength to open the door but he soon gives up and decides to smash his fist on the wood instead._

"_Let me in!" he demands, banging his palm on my door again and again and again._

_I mentally snort; not a chance. _

"_What do you want?" I ask, tightening my grip on the handle._

_He doesn't answer for a while, and soon the banging stops and the sound of him plodding back down the stairs can be heard. I released my hold on the door handle and open my door slightly; just to make sure he wasn't tricking me. _

_I made my way downstairs silently, trying hard to make no loud noises which could trigger his anger. I find him sitting in the kitchen with a bottle in one hand and a cigarette in the other._

"_Where's your mother?" he barked, taking a swig and gulping loudly before wiping his mouth with the back of his sleeve._

"_She's gone out." I replied, crossing my arms and watching him carefully._

"_Don't talk to me like that, you ungrateful bastard!" he shouted, standing up and knocking the dinner table over. I backed up slightly; this wasn't going to be friendly._

_Dad smirked at my reaction and dropped his cigarette on the floor before raising his fist and taking a clumsy swing at my face. It didn't touch me, but even if it had he had been so out of range it wouldn't have moved me. I felt anger boil up inside me._

_I took a confident step forward and smacked my dad hard in the face before pushing him backwards against the wall. I watched him slump, seemingly too drunk to retaliate. Stupid me._

_The moment I turned my back on the useless bastard, I felt something hard shatter over my back making me sway slightly from the pain. I turned to find my dad standing with the neck of his bottle gripped tightly in his hand, surrounded by shattered glass. His eyes were glazed over and he was in no state to defend himself anymore, but I found that I couldn't hold myself back. Anger blinded my vision and possessed my body. _

_As my father lay limply on the kitchen floor, my hands reached out of their own accord and gripped my dads' shirt, yanking him up and forcing him to lean against the wall. His eyes were closed, his body weak, and I took advantage of his vulnerable state. But all the while, I was convinced he deserved everything I would do to him. He was a monster and deserved to die._

_One punch to his gut made his eyes flash wide open. He groaned in agony, hunching forward and clutching his head with both hands. Stupid bastard shouldn't have drunk so much._

_The rest of the night went in a blur. I couldn't even remember what had happened after that until I felt my eyes focus again and the only memory of the past hour was pain. My back splitting and my shirt being torn to shreds. I remembered falling to the ground in agony, clutching my head desperately…and waking to find my dad sprawled before me with blood pouring from his nose and forehead, not forgetting three gashes along his cheek and terror in his eyes as he stared with wide eyes at me. _

_My hands felt damp, very damp and cold but I soon forgot as I watched my father scramble up from the floor and run from the kitchen shouting "monster" until he reached his car and drove as fast as he could away from the house, away from me._

_I don't really know what came over me, but hearing my own dad calling me a monster… I found myself overwhelmed with sudden guilt, anger and sadness. Maybe I was a monster…_

_I bolted out of the house once the coils in my brain uncurled and headed straight to La Push beach where I sat silently, listening to the sounds of the sea and felt tears blur my vision. I drew closer to the edge of the shore and averted my gaze from the sky to the water to study my reflection. I was shocked by what I saw, because what appeared before me wasn't a normal sixteen year old boy as there should have been. _

_No; I saw a wolf instead._

**

* * *

**

Present Day

A small smiled played on the girl's lips and I found myself astounded at how she could smile after loosing someone she loves. Ok, he was a blood sucker, but she made it pretty obvious that she was obsessed with him…it made me angry to know that he could leave such a vulnerable girl on her own in the middle of a forest, in the middle of the night, and tell her he wasn't coming back.

I wanted to protect this girl with my whole heart and soul even if it meant putting my neck on the line for her.

"_Sam, I need to talk to you." I growled, running through the forest once I had phased away from the public's eye._

"_I think I already know why, but please continue Paul." He replied._

_I stopped by the beach and felt my legs give way beneath me. "I've imprinted on Bella Swan."_

* * *

Well this is the second story I've started so far, but the first one on Twilight. If you like Harry Potter then please, have a look at my other one. I hope you liked this so far, and I will update as soon as I can. x


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

_~New Beginnings~_

**Several months later**

Today I sat alone, for the millionth time this month. During the beginning of the month, I had believed that my heart was mending itself, albeit very slowly, with the help of Jacob of course. Unfortunately and inevitably that all changed quite recently and now I find myself rewinding into that lonely, cold, frozen girl that I turned into when Ed- …_he _left. My head must not have been screwed on properly or something, either that or I had done something terrible in a past life and for some bizarre reason I was paying for it now.

I missed Jacob's company so much. I hated to think that he had just disappeared from my life in the blink of an eye. I wondered if I had upset him that night at the cinema. I didn't exactly turn him down, but I hadn't said yes wither. I honestly loved Jacob with all my heart- damn, I'd put my neck on the line for that boy… but for the moment, my feelings for him were closer to sisterly than romantic. If trying to form a new relationship in that sense would bring him back to me, then I was willing to try.

I wished that Jacob would just appear in my window sometimes with his trademark, boyish grin and joyous dark eyes that could lift me from my dark spirits.

My eyes were constantly flickering from the door to the window, waiting for him to appear before I slept. I mentally scolded myself for my stupidity. Jake may have sprouted some muscle lately, but no way was he strong enough to manage that wall.

I soon regretted thinking about that as I was reminded of _him, _who would visit me at night through my window. With thoughts of him in mind, and the haunting memories of Jacob and Ed- …_him, _I drifted to sleep with tears in my eyes and a tear in my heart.

I awoke to Charlie sitting on the edge of my bed with bags under his eyes and worry lacing his eyes. I felt my brows knit together at the intensity of his gaze and reached forward to hold his hand in mine.

"Dad, what's wrong?" I asked quietly, sitting upright and crossing my legs beneath me.

I watched him take a shaky breath before saying, "I thought things were starting to get better when you and Jake got talking…maybe I assumed too fast."

"Why would you think that?" I replied, trying to hide the sadness in my voice.

"You were screaming in your sleep last night, Bells." He whispered.

I nodded sadly, and rested my head back against the pillows, closing my eyes. "I think it's time to pay Jake a visit, Dad."

Charlie drove me to Billy's house once I was dressed and decided to wait for me in case he needed to step in a shoot someone. Trust Charlie to lighten the mood.

I knocked twice and waited. Billy answered the door soon after with an apologetic look on his face. "Sorry, Bella; Jake is a bit busy at the moment. Pop by another time maybe?"

I sighed and took a step forward, "If you think I'm buying that, Billy, then you must think I'm stupid. I need to see Jacob, you have to understand that; I _need _to see him so please…just tell me where I can find him."

I was feeling desperate; I really needed to see him, even just to know he was ok. I hated not knowing how he was doing, or when I'd see him again. Being in the dark was killing me.

Billy took his time to answer me and when he finally did, I was very pleased with the answer.

I had the most horrible butterflies tickling my insides as Charlie drove me to La Push beach. I could feel my heart beat fluttering at an impossible pace at the thought of seeing Jacob again. _My Jacob._

I could almost imagine the grin on his face when I found him sitting on the log by the shore tossing rocks into the ocean, opening his arms for me to step into his warm embrace. I was so excited to hear his deep, happy voice again as he told me about some crazy thing he got up to with Quil and Embry, listen to them embarrass each other over something that somehow, I would feel embarrassed about too!

I wanted to smile again. I wanted to see Jake smile again, and Charlie. Their happiness was what fuelled mine, but it was like a triangle; if I wasn't happy, neither was Jake or Charlie. If I was happy, so were they. If Charlie wasn't happy, then neither was I nor Jake…and so on. It was a hard code to crack, but as long as I had both of them in my life then I would be happy. But I had a third of me missing, and that was a Jacob shaped piece that I needed.

"I'll stay here until I know it's ok to leave you here," Charlie said, leaning forward to kiss my forehead, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do, kiddo!"

I gave my dad a small smile before turning around and heading in the direction of the shore, wringing my hands anxiously and biting my lip. In a few moments, I would see Jake again. I just needed to turn the corner to see him, to hear him, to touch him. The butterflies in my stomach were starting to feel more like bees the closer I got to the beach. I fiddled with the bottom of my top, nibbling on my lip and picturing him in my head. Why was I so nervous about seeing my best friend?

Finally, I reached the corner and as I turned I caught the first glimpse of Jacob I had in a whole month and the bees in my stomach seemed to increase tenfold. My eyes widened as I grew closer, but not close enough for him to realise that I was there.

He seemed to be with four other men and my god did they look similar! Jacob no longer had his long, flowing hair; it was cut short and seemed an awful lot like his companions hair. In fact, they looked like brothers when they stood together. They all had muscular bodies with dark skin and a tribal tattoo on their arms; in all honesty, it wasn't a bad sight…but my eyes were completely focused on Jake as I walked silently towards the group of boys before me.

I recognised one of the four boys with Jake as Embry…although; it was difficult to recognise him with his short hair plus his tall and muscular body. They all seemed to look the same! Seriously, were they all on steroids or something?

Embry's eyes flickered over to me suddenly and the smile on his face melted. I held his gaze for a moment before he coughed nervously and muttered, not so quietly, "We have company," in Jacob's ear. I felt like a lump was blocking my throat and I found it impossible to swallow my nerves and calm down.

I suddenly felt very small and insignificant as five pairs of accusing eyes landed on me. My gaze wandered from my shoes to Jacob for what seemed like ages until one of Jake's friends ordered everyone to give me and Jacob a moment alone. I lifted my head to give the man a grateful smile which he replied to with a stern nod and soon I was left alone with Jacob.

I felt like my insides were tearing as he avoided looking in my direction. Since Jacob had exited my life, I felt like my heart had done a giant flip. It was almost as bad as when Edward left… only this time the old wounds had reopened because of Jacob. Tears blurred my vision when I opened my mouth to speak but was suddenly reminded of his promise to never hurt me. Guess that was yet another promise broken.

I lifted my gaze to focus completely on Jacob; I hadn't seen him for a long time and I needed to preserve this image of him if my moment with him came to a disappointing end. I was shocked when I had first seen his short hair. It was certainly a change and it suited him a bit; I suppose I would get used to it and maybe even come to like it after time. His eyes were cold and full of anger, which scared me slightly even though it was only Jacob. I noticed his hands were clenched into fists and held tight against his sides like he was trying not to hit me and I felt myself take a tiny step away from him which was when I realised… I was slightly scared of him. But who wouldn't be? I must have looked like a mouse standing beside him!

Anyone in their right mind would fear Jacob; his new muscles made him look like he could squash me with his little finger…but he was still my Jacob. I could still imagine his boyish grin on his face even if he was looking scary at the moment.

I felt like hitting myself. Of course he was still my Jacob… no one and nothing could change Jake. I took a final deep breath and gave him the friendliest smile I could muster from my insane nerves.

"Hey Jake?" I began, waiting for a reaction.

He turned to me silently and studied me instead of replying. I was slightly put off by that but didn't let it get to me; that would have ruined things before it had even started!

"I've missed you, Jake" I muttered sadly then opened my arms to him, "no bear hug greeting?" I laughed. God, how I missed those hugs.

I almost danced with joy (not a pretty sight) when a small, tiny tiny, microscopic smile played at his lips and the coldness in his eyes were replaced by a glimmer of warmth before I felt two strong arms wrap around my waist and lift me up to be crushed into a rock hard chest.

I grinned to myself and tightened my arms around Jacob's neck before nuzzling my nose into his neck, inhaling his musky scent and clutching his now short hair. The hair was quite a shame to be honest, but I'd get over it.

Jacob clutched hard at the skin on my sides and tightened his arms to keep a firmer hold on me. Usually I would have shouted at him for squeezing me so tight, but this time I could forgive him because I was extremely happy, it felt like I had my old Jake back. To feel his arms securely around me again was home to me; Jacob was my safe harbour. I could go to him for everything and I knew that he would understand and comfort me whenever I needed comforting. If I needed to be disciplined and told that what I was doing was stupid or reckless then he would tell me…and probably join in. Jake was an amazing person, and I needed him in my life. Only now had I realised just how much I needed my source of oxygen…without the company of Jacob, I couldn't breath- I couldn't exist. He brought out the reckless side in me, not that I'm complaining of course. I thought about him almost all the time we were apart, and it hurt to be away from him. I knew that many girls in La Push were…_fond _of Jacob, and although my feelings for him gave me no right to be jealous, I was. I hated to imagine him with another girl, joking around and having fun, eating cold pizza round the back of his yard whilst watching him fiddle with the engine of a faulty car or mess around with Quil while Embry tries his best to get my attention. I was almost flattered when they both asked if we were dating; it would be great to date a guy like Jacob…but I was damaged goods. I knew he could do better than me, he could find a pure girl with no family problems and more money. He could find a beautiful girl more his age who knew about bikes and engines and cars, a Quileute girl who knew about his ancestry and could relate to him better than I could. But no matter who he dated, I know that I would always have one over them because I had known Jacob almost all our lives, we had experienced so much together- the death of his mother, our first days at school when we cried because we wouldn't be going together, getting stranded together in a boat with Billy and Charlie on our first fishing trip…and the day my mom walked out on Charlie and took me with her. Jacob had always been there with me, through an awful lot of my childhood until we moved away and I lost contact. The day I saw him again was like a dream, I couldn't believe my eyes. Then the shock set in when I saw Billy in a wheelchair, although I waited to get inside to ask Charlie about that. I hated not being able to be there for Jacob when the threat of his father's life swarmed his. I wondered why I hadn't had more contact with him even when I had moved back to Forks; I suppose when Edward appeared, my life was pretty much taken over and Jacob was always there trying to get my attention- trying to find his old Bella that had lived so far away and might as well have not come back at all. He had always been there for me even when I hadn't realised, appearing at the prom and telling me to look after myself well. He had _always_ been there, and I had been so stupid not to notice it. Maybe I should have listened to his advice in the first place, and then I wouldn't be in this situation. Jacob was my boat, and without him I would sink.

But regardless of how I was feeling, he still had an awful lot of explaining to do.

Once my feet were securely on the ground and I had sorted Jake's messy hair, I finally heard his voice for the first time in over a month.

"I miss you too, Bells" he said quietly, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear gently then turning to sit against the log with his head in his hands. It hurt so much to see him sad, but I needed him to explain things to me and no time like the present.

"You missed me so much you couldn't even leave me a message to say you were ok?" I muttered, still standing with my arms crossed and my mind swimming with disappointment and regret.

Jacob didn't move for a while, it seemed like my words were processing in his head or he was trying to think of a sensible reply. I didn't need an apology from him- I only wanted my Jacob back as soon as I could have him, I just wanted him to tell me he would be there for me and never leave me…I needed my safe harbour back. I heard him take a shaky breath before removing his hands and lifting his head to look at me. The sadness in his eyes almost brought me to tears- he truly regretted leaving me, but his eyes told me he had to do it. I was so stupid; I should have known Jacob would never hurt me unless he absolutely had to. But that still didn't explain why.

"I need to know why you would do that Jacob- it isn't like you to just stop contacting…" I trailed off, not quite sure how to say what I wanted to say in simple terms. I didn't want to sound harsh like he had destroyed me because that would break him, but I didn't want to come across as it hadn't bothered me; hell, if it hadn't bothered me then I wouldn't have been there asking him about it!

I ached to touch him again and to have him hold me, but that wasn't my priority at the moment. I watched him silently for a moment, only just noticing that he was partially naked apart from the hacked up jeans he had cut into shorts. I knew it was warm, but we weren't in Florida! How was he not cold? Not that I was complaining of course, I mean it wasn't exactly a repulsive sight…in fact it gave me a rather unnerving and embarrassing feeling in my stomach. Times like these I was glad my feelings weren't obvious on my face like other peoples sometimes were. His skin was darker than I remembered, and I was pretty sure he hadn't got a six pack a month ago…something about this wasn't quite adding up. The hair, the skin colour, the muscles and the tattoo- What, was Jacob becoming some sort of sun addicted, steroid junky rebel?

"You got a tattoo- and you cut your hair…not that I don't think it suits you…but you've changed, Jacob…in the space of a month, you've become like those boys who you used to _hate_. I'm not understanding any of this" then something clicked- something that I should have seen before because it was so bleeding obvious! It was staring me in the face; this was entirely my fault! "Was it something I've done, Jake? I'm sorry if I've not been paying you more attention…but I'm getting there, Jake- just tell me what I've done wrong and I'll sort it" I would have done anything to have him back.

"It's not you." he whispered, shaking his head and closing his eyes before clenching his teeth.

"Are you just saying that to make me feel better?" I replied quietly before raising my voice until I sounded almost hysterical, "Jacob, if you need me to change or do something- anything, then tell me honestly"

"Honestly," he croaked, "It's not you- it's _never_ you" he sounded like he was in pain, but I heard honesty in his voice and was slightly reassured by that. I sat myself down beside him and lifted my hand to rub his shoulder soothingly, trying to ease his pain. It seemed to make his relax slightly, but I could still feel the tension.

"So what's the problem?" I asked breathlessly, "Jacob, I'm not going to drop this so you might as well tell me" I added firmly. I was determined to get it out of him.

"I c-can't tell you, Bells." He replied softly and said no more.

I clenched my teeth, holding back the urge to snap at him- but that wouldn't help, in fact it would probably cause the opposite affect I wanted. "You _can _tell me, Jacob. If our friendship has any value, then you would tell me." I felt so guilty saying that; of course our friendship meant something to him…it meant everything to him, as it did to me- but if he felt he couldn't tell me something so important then I honestly doubted we were as close as I had once thought.

His head snapped up as soon as the words had left my mouth- his eyes ablaze with emotions…too many emotions to count. I could tell I had shocked him by my words, upset him even but nothing could have shocked me more by the next thing that fell from his lips.

"Our _friendship?" _he laughed bitterly and stood up abruptly- fire in his eyes, "yes, because our _friendship _obviously means more to you than those bloodsuckers you love so much" he spat, his fists clenched and shaking violently.

I shied away from him subconsciously, wincing at the radiating off him. I shook my head and sat straight again, "I don't know what you're talking about, Jacob." I muttered, brushing it off quickly.

"Don't lie to me" he growled, narrowing his eyes and taking a step towards me, causing me to flinch.

"How could I have told you?" I bit back, "no one would believe that my ex boyfriend's a vampire!" I took a deep breath and added softly, "He's gone now anyway, so it shouldn't matter to you"

"Of course it matters to me, Bella! You could have been killed- doesn't your own life matter to you?" he replied, his voice raising.

"Is this why you've been ignoring me?" I asked with disbelief, "because I dated a vampire" I couldn't believe what was starting to piece together. Jacob had never liked Edward from the start- that had been obvious but I couldn't quite believe that that he would avoid me just because of who I had dated; I thought I'd known him better than that.

"Don't be stupid" Jacob replied, suddenly his anger had been replaced with anxiety and I watched him, puzzled, as he began to avoid my gaze again.

"Why then?"

"I've already said- I literally can't tell you, Bells" he chuckled with no amusement, "I would tell you if I could, trust me"

in my mind, I told myself I was taking a path that would surely lead to disaster- I was stupid to even test the water, but if it made him tell me then it was worth the risk.

"Jacob, I know that you don't exactly see me as a friend" I said slowly, choosing my words carefully, "I know that for a while… you've seen me as more than a friend and maybe if you gave me a little more time to think about what it would mean to…sort of, give things a try" I suggested, waiting for a moment for any reaction, but he remained stock still and stony faced. I wasn't entirely sure if that was a good thing or not, so I continued.

"If it would help, then I would be willing to give us a go, Jacob. I have to tickets to Arizona; I got them for my birthday…we could have a little holiday together and visit mom. If it would help to get away for a bit then let's go for it, eh?" I seemed to ramble on for ages, but this idea sounded like a really good idea to me and the more I thought about it, the more ideas popped into my head. I hadn't seen mom in so long, and I was certain she would love to see Jake again! We could both do with some time away from everyone and it would give me a perfect opportunity to consider the possibilities with Jake. I know Charlie would be thrilled to hear the news.

"That sounds…good" Jacob whispered after an age of silence, "Yeah, let's do it"

My lips pulled into a grin and I leapt into Jacob arms. For once, I didn't complain when I was lifted off the ground and spun in the air. I felt Jake breathe something into my hair before kissing into my hair before kissing my head, but I didn't quite catch it.

I felt on top of the world just because I had made Jake happy and honestly, I felt relieved he knew about the Cullens because there was someone I could finally talk to about it.

My happy thoughts were cut short when I felt Jacob go rigid and release me from his hold. "Bella, move now!" Jacob said firmly before almost pushing me out the way and running forwards towards the woods where a huge silver wolf emerged from trees, teeth bared and running at the full speed towards Jacob. I felt my heart miss a beat, and tears fill my eyes.

"Jake- run!" I screamed, covering my cheeks with my hands just as my legs gave way underneath me. Why was I sitting here waiting for Jake to get killed? I screamed at him to run but it was too late. My eyes widened in shock when, just as the animal was ten feet away from Jacob, he transformed into- into…a giant bronze wolf.

I felt everything die around me before my vision went black.

* * *

Ok, so that's the second chapter for you- I hope you enjoyed reading it folks. I have been planning this chapter for almost a week lol, it's quite difficult to get it how I want it to plan out and it's so tempting to make this a Bella/Jake story, but no I can't. I'll do that another time but this has to be about Paul, because I love him! Tell me what you think about this chapter, I'm hoping for over seven reviews this time so please please please, put it on your favourite list or story alert if you wish- just please review! I need to know what you're thinking about it…but no flames please? until next time, folks.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

_~Hypnotic~_

I awoke to the sound of raised voices close by. They had deep tones and I could only distinguish two or three people- one of which sounded an awful lot like Jacob, on the verge of ripping someone's throat out.

I wasn't particularly bothered who he were arguing with anyway to be honest, nor was I bothered about the reason- what really mattered to me was why Jacob hadn't thought to tell me he was a freaking _wolf-thing!_

I had no idea where I was, nor who I was with but I was certain that Jacob was very close by, so it was only logical to call out to the most familiar person- so I did.

My eyes remained closed because I had no desire to see people crowding around me or watching me like a hawk; it was so embarrassing and unsettling. I seemed to be lying on something soft and slightly bouncy with a cold, wet thing on my forehead which was actually quite soothing so I decided against removing what I assumed was a cold flannel. My head was cushioned by a cool pillow which was very comfortable and when I moved my hands around a bit, I discovered that not only was I lying beneath a very cosy feeling blanket, but I had also somehow been changed into my tank top and shorts which I usually wore as nightwear.

"Jacob" I whispered, cracking my eyes open to find myself lying in a rather comfortable bed but in an unfamiliar room with soft cream walls, wooden flooring and patio doors. Through the doors, I could see a mahogany table with three used candles. Surrounding the table were ten people, six of which I were familiar with. Jacob nudged the hench looking Quileute next to and suddenly all eyes were on me. I felt a blush creep onto my cheeks and I began to wish I had stayed asleep a little longer. Honestly, I wanted to hide behind the covers so badly, but for some reason I felt locked into place by the gaze of one particular person- someone I didn't actually know and had never been properly introduced to. I recognised him and remembered him vividly from peeping out of my window the night- …the night I was found alone in the woods. I had felt so numb and empty, and he gazed up at me silently from across the yard… and he smiled at me. I cannot even remember how I managed it, but despite my broken heart, plagued mind, and numb body… I found myself smiling back at him since just for the flicker of a second, then he ran away into the woods towards La Push. I hadn't seen him since then, although he could have been with Jake earlier on the beach- I wouldn't have noticed anyway because I was so adamant on seeing Jacob, I only really paid attention to one other person and that was Embry.

This person's gaze was so intense and powerful, it seemed like he was x-raying me with his eyes. Some people say that eyes are the windows to ones soul, and it honestly felt like he was peering into my soul and tugging the stitches in my heart back in place. Just one gaze, and I no longer felt like used goods- I felt pure and wanted by this person with the magnificent eyes. How was this feeling humanly possible? I couldn't seem to ear my gaze from those beautiful dark eyes- I hadn't even had a proper look at him! But what on earth was I thinking? His eyes alone were enough to make me want him…who ever he was. Unless he was over twenty-five, then I could possibly have second thoughts, basing that on my opinion of human men that is.

To my much regret, our gaze tore when an almighty crash was heard from the kitchen and I found myself too shocked for words when I saw Jacob storming from the house, cradling his hand and leaving a broken dinner table behind him. I blinked, not quite believing that Jacob had just left without so much as a hello or goodbye. What the hell did _he _have to be mardy about anyway? It's not like _he _just discovered his best friend had been lying to him about being a wolf!

"Don't mind him" a soft feminine voice murmured soothingly. I suppose I had been so mesmerised by the space where I saw Jacob disappear that I hadn't noticed anyone enter the room. The unfamiliar voice startled me and I turned my head quickly to find a pretty young woman with the traditional natives skin colour along with dark shining eyes and very long, flowing black hair. On the left side of her face she appeared to have lovely soft dark skin and full lips- on the right side, her cheek was marred by a horrendous scar. I acted like it wasn't there; I didn't want to make a bad impression already. I cared not for the disfigurement, as harsh as that may sound, because she was beautiful and I found myself envious of her Quileute beauty.

"Have I done something wrong?" I asked quietly, watching as sympathy touched her eyes and she smiled softly at me.

"Jacob is angry at something he doesn't understand- not yet anyway" she replied, passing me a glass of water and continuing as I took slow sips, "we all fear what we don't understand, Bella. He is no different- just scared"

I liked this girl already- she seemed to be intelligent and logical, and although I didn't understand why Jacob was scared, I took her word for it.

"I don't think we've met before- is this your house?" I inquired, setting the water back on the tray and sitting up slowly. The house was suddenly very quiet and I was thankful of that.

The girl smiled again and gestured for me to lean forward for her to plump my pillows, "this is indeed my home, and my name is Emily. I am Sam's fiancé- I hope we can be friends"

I heard laughter chime from my lips and I found myself nodding eagerly in agreement. My laughter died when I was reminded of the incident at the beach and tears pricked my vision.

"Why didn't Jake tell me?" I whispered brokenly, biting my lip to stop the tears from flowing.

"That will be explained tonight" she replied gravely, "but just so you know- he was given an Alpha order not to tell the Quileute secret. Once you are given that order, you physically cannot go against it. Think of how difficult that must have been for Jacob, Bella" and with that, she departed from the room, leaving me with a lot to think about.

With the house quiet and nobody around to talk to, I decided to search for my clothes and once I was dressed and looked decent enough to walk in public, I wrote a note to that Emily for the food and bed and made my way back to Forks, which was harder than I thought on foot.

I wondered with keen interest where the boy with the mesmerising eyes was now. For some bizarre reason, I craved him company and I wanted to know all about him. Hell, I didn't even know his name! From what I remembered of that night, so many months ago, he had the same build as the other Quileute boys, he had the same short hair and russet skin, he same tattoo on his right arm, the same mysterious presence… they were an odd bunch, but I could see myself coming to get quite attached to them with the help of Jacob, Embry and Emily.

My thoughts soon wandered back to Jacob and a wave of sadness hit me. I felt so guilty and I hated myself for hurting him- but in all honesty, I had no idea what I had done to affect him so badly.

I was startled out of my thoughts when a white truck pulled up beside me, and I half expected a man with a gun and chains around his ankles to jump in front of me demanding money. I was pleasantly surprised when I was reunited with those smouldering eyes once more and I felt a small smile steal my shock. I recognised him instantly and was reminded of that pleasant tug on my heart again.

"Someone looks lost, I think" he chuckled- his voice was like music to my ears, but it wasn't the first time I had heard that mouth-watering, deep voice. Now I knew who Jacob was arguing with earlier.

I opened my mouth to make some smart comment about how wrong he was, when I stopped myself to actually look around me. Damn- he was right.

I scowled, "I suppose I am a bit lost, perhaps" I said frowning before seeing him send me a teasing 'just-hurry-and-admit-it' look and not being able to contain my laughter.

"Well" he began, taking a step towards me and offering his hand which I took hesitantly- loving the feeling of his soft, large hands holding my significantly smaller ones, "it's lucky I happened to be passing by. I'll give you a lift back to your Dads"

I stopped still in my tracks just as I reached the passenger door and my lips adopted a teasing smirk as a thought struck me mind- "I don't even know your name, therefore you're a stranger and I was always told to stay away from strangers" I said firmly with a hint of playfulness. But seriously- I didn't even know his name!

The man chuckled and leaned back against the drivers' seat after starting up the truck. I waited anxiously for a reply, a name, a date of birth- anything! I really didn't want to leave empty handed, but I was starting to feel a bit stupid, standing beside his truck- gazing up at him like an obsessive.

"well, _stranger_" he murmured, picking at his nails before his sharp eyes darted to mine, "If it's any consolation, my name is Paul Knox- I'm 19 and I'm currently living in a log cabin with my mom in La Push" he smirked, "enough information for you, chick?"

I nodded quickly before practically leaping into the passenger seat with a shy smiled on my lips and my cheeks slowly growing hotter under his gaze. The silence could have been sliced with a butter knife- I waited for a conversation to begin, but none did and I soon found myself stealing guilty glances at Paul. Until I heard a throaty chuckle followed by "I am quite a sight, aren't I"

I blushed like mad and wanted to jump out the window; unfortunately I wasn't that flexible and had to put up with the humiliation.

The awkward silence was soon broken when I heard a cough from beside me and my body froze when Paul leaned over me suddenly to open the car door for me. Time seemed to go in slow motion the moment I felt his hot, sweet breath fan my face causing me to lean towards him slightly as he fumbled in the glove compartment, deliberately slowly. He moved slightly so he was breathing very close to my ear lobe and tickling my neck. Out the corner of my eyes, I caught a glimpse of a small smirk playing at his lips. I couldn't contain my sudden intake of breath as I turned my head slightly so I was facing him- our eyes glued at each others lips. I subconsciously moistened mine with the tip of my tongue and nibbled nervously, watching his lips part a little, daring to inch just a little bit closer towards mine. I could taste his unfamiliar, yet delicious, breath on my tongue and was so tempted to taste those luscious lips. My eyes, clouded with desire, snapped up to his the moment I felt the unmistakable tingle of his soft fingers against my neck, dancing suggestively along my skin. His eyes were dark and mesmerised by my lips. His desire for me was obvious, and I wanted him just as much.

It would be so easy just to lean forward and capture his lips with mine, to immerse myself in him completely- no regrets, no complications- just wrapping ourselves up in a sea of desire. But Jacob would never be able to forgive me.

_Jacob…_

"Would you like a coffee?" I whispered after coming to my senses and tearing myself from Paul's gaze.

He blinked twice, then a painful expression of rejection appeared on his face before he returned to his seat and shook his head sternly. "No thank you. I'm needed in the res- I'll see you tonight in La Push, no doubt." He gulped then said quietly, "It was nice meeting you, Bella" before pulling out of the yard and speeding back up the road.

I entered the house a moment later, not capable of hiding the quilt and regret on my face, and the skin on my neck still tingling from his touch.

**Five hours later**

Usually, Charlie wouldn't even have needed to think about staying out as late as I would be tonight. If I told him I was planning on stopping over at the Cullens house, Edward would have been introduced to the wrong side of Charlie's gun in no time! But I knew my way around Charlie, and after explaining (lying) the misunderstanding between me and a certain furry friend, he was only too happy to let me stay in LaPush till late as long as I was with Jake the whole time.

Only problem was Jake didn't seem too pleased with me at the moment. I had no clue what I had done, but I must have done something pretty bad to make him bust a table in half!

I envied Jake for his strength and speed- I suppose that was partly why I had been so adamant on being a vampire. I had been so foolish.

I pulled up by the reservation and was soon greeted by Emily and Embry. I smiled warmly at them before giving the pretty Quileute girl a friendly hug and walking towards the bonfire where I could just make out four hench bodies lit by the bonfire, no doubt who they were. Sue and Harry Clearwater were also seated as was Billy and Old Quil. I watched silently as Emily skipped over to where Sam sat to plonk herself down on his lap then lean over for a quick kiss. My heart ached at the sight of them.

Just before I reached the circle of logs, I felt two arms wrap around my waist and lift me off the ground before spinning my body to be crushed into a very hard, warm chest. A sloppy kiss was placed on my cheek before I was put back down and met the eyes of Embry. I could not contain my laughter and found myself leaning forward to plant a gentle kiss on his cheek as thanks, earning a grin and a slight blush.

"It's good to see you again, Bells" he said, "It was great having you around in the garage with me, Jake and Quil"

"Yes" I agreed with a sad smile, "It was fun"

Our little heart-to-heart soon came to an end with the sudden arrival of a small girl who appeared to be around my age, but was considerably smaller with a petite figure, a heart shaped face and large brown eyes. When she noticed everyone looking at her, she blushed like mad and rushed over to Jared's side where he scooped her up into his arms and gave her a sweet peck followed by a loving gaze. I assumed she was his girlfriend.

_Jeez, _I thought, _I'm feeling the love tonight._

As we drew closer, I noticed that neither Jake nor Paul glanced in my direction at all- in fact they seemed to be intrigued by the ground beneath their feet. I rolled my eyes and took a seat beside Embry, ignoring them completely as they were acting like two ten year old boys who had accidentally walked into the girls' toilets!

I suppose Jacob was embarrassed because of his little episode earlier in the day, although I didn't really hold it against him. I didn't bother telling him that though- as if he would listen. Paul was a completely different case; I felt a little embarrassed around him because of our encounter earlier. Our lips had been so close…

My thoughts were interrupted by a loud cough from Billy and suddenly everyone's attention was on the three elders sitting beside the bonfire.

"Everyone shh" Billy began and his eyes met mine with a smile, "we have someone new joining us today, so behave and make her feel at home" he ordered seriously and I watched with a smirk as Paul sent him an innocent "who, me?" expression followed by laughter.

My attention was stolen by Jake, who has now plucked up the courage to take the empty seat next to me. I was glad of it- I liked having Jake around seeing as, especially now, he was the person who I knew best and he knew best.

I smiled when he leaned over to me and whispered, "Sorry about earlier- I wasn't angry at you"

I turned my head and nuzzled his shoulder before saying, "you're forgiven" and burying my head into the crook of his neck, my eyes focused on the elders, with Jake's arm held securely around me. I liked being close to Jake- sometimes I just needed that safety and warmth that came with him.

"Legends of the Quileute tribe have long suggested that we are descended from wolves. Which we are yet to confirm, but what we can confirm is that for some reason our tribe was chosen to protect the people around us. As you have already seen, Bella, we phase at the first sign of danger. We also phase when we feel very strong emotions, for example, the pack have to learn to control their anger or they could phase in public and hurt someone" Billy's eyes flickered over to Jake quickly then back to me. I felt him stiffen beside me and his arm loosened its hold on my waist. I turned my head to give him a confused look, earning a guilty blush from Jake. I heard a few people chuckle at his reluctance but I could tell there was something important that Billy wanted Jake to tell me about.

"Is there something else?" I asked innocently, almost dropping my false act when I felt his arm completely unwind from around me before he shuffled away from me slightly. I suddenly felt very cold.

Jacob glared at his dad for a moment before clutching his hands together in front of him and frowning. His body was slightly turned towards me so I knew he was addressing me when he spoke. He looked troubled- like he was reluctant to tell me. I couldn't quite figure out what would be so important that he wouldn't tell me…unless it was as important as him turning into a wolf- we usually told each other everything. But there were some things that weren't for the ears of others.

"Jake, just tell me" I sighed.

"You're not gunner like it, Bells" he shook his head with regret on his face but continued never the less, "Dad told you that our purpose is to protect our people, originally that would have been the people in our tribe. The…creatures…that we are designed to kill haven't been around this area for a _very _long idea. Our generation wouldn't have phased if they hadn't been around for the past few years- for example, Dad's generation hadn't phased because they weren't around, and neither did Old Quil's generation. We're the first pack for years and years" he explained quietly, avoiding my gaze when he mentioned the "creatures".

I nodded quickly trying to encourage him to continue. When he didn't I said, "Ok, so who are these "creatures" you protect us from?" I asked.

I frowned when the pack stiffened at my question and there was suddenly a very awkward silence throughout the group which annoyed me quite a lot to be honest. I was invited along to find out what was going on, and they suddenly decide not to tell me! I was relieved when I heard Paul's husky voice speak up, "Jake, you wanted her here tonight so spit it out, already!" it sounded a little harsher than I had wanted, but it seemed to do the trick.

"Why don't you tell her then?" Jake snapped back- I could feel a growl building in his chest and his hands began to shake slightly. I covered his hand with mine and stroked my thumb over his skin to calm him down.

"Hey, calm it Jake" I whispered, shuffling closer to him to feel his reassuring warmth again. I felt him stop shaking and the growl suddenly transform into a whimper when I turned my head to rest against his shoulder and accidentally brushed my lips against his skin. I felt myself blush and pulled back slightly before muttering, "I don't care _who_ tells me, as long as _someone _does"

Jake groaned, closing his eyes then whispered so quietly I had to strain my eyes to hear him, "The Cullens"

I felt my eyes widen and my heart skip a beat. I opened my mouth to snap at him about being so utterly ridiculous but decided against it as I was unfortunately surrounded by five wolves that were significantly stronger than we with short tempers. "W-why?" I felt my lips spill sadly, pulling my hand away from his slowly, feeling myself shaking with slight fear. Did they all know I dated a vampire? Oh, God- if they did…I was done for. But they must have known I had been with Edward; Jake knew about it, and if Jake was aware that I knew I was dating a vampire…then the rest of the Pack must have known as well.

"I- I shouldn't be here, Jake" I stuttered, standing up quickly and feeling tears prick my eyes before I felt myself sway as all the blood rushed to my head. Two warm, strong hands caught me by the waist before I hit the ground and I was suddenly engulfed in heat as that person held me tightly too them, stroking my hair back soothingly as tears fell from my eyes and sobs wracked through my body. I kept my eyes tight shut; I couldn't face the shame of everyone knowing I had dating the creature that had made them like this. I felt truly ashamed of myself- and at the time it made sense to, although I knew deep down I had done nothing wrong.

I clutched at the persons shirt desperately, like I was clinging onto life itself while that person breathed hotly down my back and held me tightly. It was soothing, but the tears didn't stop. They physically couldn't stop- it was as if I had been needing to cry and cry and cry…and all the sadness and anger that had been building inside of me from the moment I was left alone in the woods had decided to burst from my body at this moment. I admit that I felt stupid crying in front of all those people, but I couldn't care less for some reason.

I heard a growl from close by followed by Sam scolding, "Not now, Jacob". Then there was silence from everyone and all that could be heard was my quiet sobs and the soft thud of a heart beat next to my ear. I found myself sighing against their chest, the tears coming to a stop and my breathing now in-sync with the thud of a heartbeat. I felt myself slowly drifting off and pulling myself closer to this person, but I willed myself to stay awake. There was a lot more that I needed to hear, and I needed to hear it now which is why I was happy with what I heard next.

Sam's strong voice shattered the relaxing silence when he said, "Take her to the beach and talk to her. She needs to hear this from _you, _Paul"

_Paul? _Why did Paul need to talk to me? From what I had gathered, he didn't exactly seem fond of me at the moment; in fact he had ignored me the whole night since out encounter in his car.

I became agitated when my breathing and the heartbeat became uneven as the thud quickened and now sounded like a Humming Bird's wings! What had this person so worked up? Seriously, that pace was unnatural…although, they were wolves- and at least they had a heartbeat. I regretted my thoughts immediately when I throat suddenly felt my throat tighten and my eyes sting.

I gasped when I felt my body being lifted quickly and my eyes flew open to meet a pair of deep brown eyes rimmed with black and flickering with golden tints which smoothed into light brown as their neared the pupil. I could see my own face reflected in the iris and found myself lost in the beauty of these eyes. I could see very strong emotions radiating from this persons' gaze and could not contain my own emotions pouring from my intense stare.

A loud, awkward cough made me jump and blink in surprise- forcing me to tear my gaze from those eyes and pull back to see just who was holding me so tightly to them and clutching my upper leg and waist so closely to them. My mouth opened in shock as I found Paul holding me with a small smile on his face and his eyes shining. I returned the smile and felt myself blushing before his lingering eyes flickered behind me and he said huskily, "We'll be back soon" and I was suddenly pulled even tighter against my captor as he ran almost as fast as Edward had used to with me on his back, in the direction of the beach- my eyes never leaving his.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

_~Beauty and the Beast~_

The fine sand felt soft beneath my toes as I slid my feet through the velvet grains, lifting my legs to watch it shimmer over my skin and return to tranquil bed of sand. The turquoise water of the ocean splashed gently against the rocks and glistened beneath the light of the moon. Tonight was a full moon- I almost laughed at the irony, but my wolf-friend beside me seemed in no mood to laugh along. I studied Paul silently, noting how he frowned furiously and rubbed the back of his neck when he was nervous about something. Remembering things like that was very useful when meeting new people- I didn't want him to hate me before he even knew me.

I switched my gaze back to the water and watched the peaceful waves lap against the sand. It was a calm sight, and the gentle sounds set my mind at rest. It calmed me enough to break the anxious silence and I spoke with the softest voice I could muster as to not irritate him. It was odd because only a moment ago, he seemed ok.

"Tell me about this treaty then; Jacob didn't get very far with explaining" I chose not to watch his reaction to me mentioning vampires because last time, I hadn't been very happy with it. This wasn't the time to be getting upset about things I would have to start getting used to. Although I had decided to watch the waves once I had finally asked him to explain, there was a sudden buzz of emotions radiating off Paul- mostly irritation and anxiety. I wasn't too bothered about his slight irritation because from what I had heard, it didn't actually take a lot to tick him off. That being said, I did wonder what he had to be anxious about- it's not like I would have gone straight to those royal vampire lot and complained of a dog infestation in LaPush! Jeez, that sounded like something Rosalie would do!

I heard a heavy sight from Paul and decided that now was a good time to draw my attention back to him, seeing as it appeared he was about to talk. Maybe I was slightly pushing the boundaries, but the awkward silence was beginning to exhaust me and he was starting to remind me slightly of Edward who also chose to clam up at the most annoying of times.

"Paul, just tell me" I sighed, running an exasperated hand through my hair, "I promise I won't run crying"

I felt more at ease when I heard a quiet chuckle escape his lips, and my hopes lifted when he turned do he had a leg on each side of the log.

Once again, my eyes were caught by his intense gaze bit this time I managed to pay attention to the words spilling from his mouth at the same time.

"It was during the early nineteen hundreds when we first discovered the Cullen's on our land. They were feeding from animals, which was a very unfamiliar sight for our ancestors. They didn't quite know where they stood if they caught leeches feeding on our land without a human in sight. Naturally, it was our instinct to kill them regardless but the elder leech- the doctor- stopped them to say that they didn't feed on humans. They proved it with their eyes and we discovered that they had taken a liking to a neighbouring village. Our ancestors made an agreement with the Cullen's; they could stay in the area, but if any of them were to harm a human, we could kill them. We also have a border separating our land from everywhere else. If they were to cross the border into our land, they'd be nothing but ashes in seconds" I remained silent throughout his explanation, "And that's the treaty- although I think my in-depth explanation still leaves you with questions" he smirked.

I didn't reply at first- I wasn't completely sure what to say to be honest…But stupid me for putting my foot in my mouth, as usual. "That's silly" I huffed, "The Cullen's would never bite a human, let along on your territory"

To my own ears, the "Treaty" really did sound ridiculous, but to the people of LaPush it was a way of life and it threatened their existence. Unfortunately, I hadn't thought of that until after the words were out of my mouth.

"I'm being _silly _am I?" he spat, his eyes darkening considerably and fists trembling, "It was to my understanding that they were planning on turning you into a leech as well, therefore they would have bitten a human on our territory and broken the treaty." He continued, eyes narrowed and voice low and threatening.

I found myself almost frightened of him but part of me knew he wouldn't hurt me, or at least…not intentionally. I rested my hand on the back of his clenched fist, frowning with worry when he clenched and unclenched his teeth- trying to stay in control of his temper. The trembles became more violent and his hand suddenly shot out to grip mine with ferocious strength before pulling away suddenly and standing quickly to turn his back on me.

"Bella" he hissed, "stand away for a moment, if I phase I'll hurt you."

For a minute I was going to listen to him and move away, but how would that have made him feel? I wasn't scared of Paul, I had no reason to be and I didn't want him to think he was a threat to me. So I decided to take a step closer to him.

His eyes widened for a moment before he took an immediate step further from me, not quite understanding me as he struggled to control his anger and not phase. I shook my head sadly and touched his scorching, soft cheek tenderly- stroking my fingers over the dark skin with a small smile on my face.

"You won't hurt me, Paul. Calm down" I said softy, and he did.

Paul slumped onto the log, his trembling decreasing until he was completely stable.

My hand gently moved from his cheek to run my fingers through his sleek crop of dark hair, allowing my nails to scrape his scalp slightly. I heard him sigh before burying his head in my stomach, making me laugh at how similar he was to Jacob.

I continued to comb his hair with my fingers and smiling, almost missing the quiet rumble in his chest every time my nails came into contact with his skin. Maybe he was enjoying this more than I thought…

Suddenly, I felt two strong pair of hands come into contact with my waist, warmth burning through my clothes and shocking my flesh. I tried to relax a little as his hands remained there and the growling stopped, but gradually as his grip tightened and hands dropped to my hips I began to panic. My ministrations on his hair came to a stop immediately, but his grip on my hips stayed only to get tighter until a loud growl could be heard from his chest and my gaze flickered down in panic at Paul, who was now staring up at me with a dark, lust filled gaze which sent chills across my skin.

"Paul…" I gasped, "You're hurting me" I winced when his fingers began to knead against the skin on my hips, almost painfully.

"Paul stop it now!" I insisted urgently, trying to pull free of his hold but failing.

Luckily my second attempt at stopping him seemed to switch a light bulb on in his head and his hands flew from me immediately, shock written on his face.

He stared down at his hands in disgust, "I-I'm sorry, Bella. I don't know what came over me" he whispered, avoiding my gaze as I hesitantly returned to my seat beside him but making a bit of space between us now.

I didn't reply to him, only watched him carefully. He tried to control his breathing, hands gripping the bark.

"I need to tell you why I brought you here" he said through gritted teeth, "and it isn't going to be easy, Bella so just bear with me"

I gulped before nodding silently, not quite sure what was coming next. What ever it was, it seemed to be bothering Paul an awful lot…the dark look in his eyes told me he didn't really want to tell me anything. I didn't want him to feel he had to tell me anything, in fact I bet it didn't even have any to do with me anyway, Jake probably forced him to tell me. Why Paul had to tell me was a mystery though…I had only just met this guy? I couldn't quite understand my fascination with him, but he seemed sort of interesting. Well, as interesting as a werewolf could get.

"Have you ever heard of imprinting, Bella?" he asked quietly, still avoiding my gaze and running his hand through his hair.

I shook my head, frowning but remaining silent. Everything I had done so far seemed to annoy him enough to phase so maybe it wasn't a great idea to open my mouth. I didn't like the idea of annoying Paul, and it wasn't only because he had a temper on him, I just didn't like feeling I was getting on his nerves. It wasn't a nice feeling.

Paul took a deep breath before beginning his explanation.

"Imprinting is when…once you phase, and you see a girl she becomes your…your everything. It isn't just any girl though; it's not like a "first-girl-you-see" kind of thing. This is hard to put into words, but she becomes the centre of your world. She becomes your soul mate, the one you're destined to love and be with forever. The idea of imprinting is originally to produce the strongest offspring possible, to be strong defenders of humanity but along with that you fall for her. It doesn't always happen like that though, you might fall in love with this girl but it is her decision what you're relationship with her would be. It's not always love, but at the end of the day you would still literally kill for her and be killed for her. When you first see her, it's not gravity holding you to the earth…it's her."

I felt tears spring to my eyes, tears of happiness. It sounded like Paul had experienced this himself and I felt happy for him. It's unfortunate I couldn't ignore the small stab at my heart as I listened to him though.

Maybe he was telling me this because Jacob had imprinted and didn't have the guts to tell me himself. But why would he have Paul tell me this?

I steadied my voice before speaking, my eyes focusing on the sand beneath my feet, "It sounds like you've experienced it yourself; I'm happy for you but why are you telling me this?" I said quietly, feeling my mouth become dry as my fingers clutched painfully at my skirt, tears threatening to spill over for some reason I couldn't fathom.

"I have experienced it," he said, sounding quite pleased with himself and when I turned to look at him, a small smile was twitching at his lips and his eyes looked at the sea with a dreamy gleam in them.

"Well, I'm very happy for you both then but I don't understand why I needed to know any of this anyway" I snapped before I could stop myself. I clamped a hand over my mouth immediately, my eyes wide and watching Paul as his head snapped round to study me with a shocked expression.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound so…bitchy" I said disbelieving I had just allowed myself to speak ill of his imprint.

This was the worst move I could have made; trying so hard not to annoy him and one slip of my tongue ruins it again. Since when did I have such a temper on me?

"I have to go find Jake," I said quickly, standing abruptly and turning my back on Paul to run back to camp. I needed Jake to explain some things to me. Maybe I was wasting my time around here; if Jake had imprinted, Paul had imprinted, Edward had left me…

A great sob wracked through my body and I clutching tight at the jacket around me, hoping to feel the warmth I did when Jacob held me. Ergh, what was wrong with me? Why was I so bothered about Jacob suddenly? And why did I want Paul to tell me he hadn't imprinted? I didn't know him; I didn't want to know him!

"Bella!" Paul said, trying to convince me he was concerned by the expression on his handsome face…those deep, mysterious eyes…soft skin, husky voice…luscious lips..

I blinked hard, clenching my teeth and forcing myself not to look at his lips.

"Bella, I imprinted on _you!_" he almost shouted, "_You're _my imprint!" desperation seeped from his voice like poison.

I couldn't reply though, my mouth seemed to be fused into an 'O' and my eyes were transfixed with his. I couldn't process the words he had just said…they seemed jumbled up and false. Imprint? As if.

Who would imprint on me? I was nothing special and I was certainly not Quileute so I couldn't possibly be his "soul mate". What the tribe needed were strong, independent Quielute girls who could keep their love close and not have any threats attached. I was imperfect; a broken girl with a vampire ex. I was fucked up. I loved a vampire, my best friend and I suddenly this werewolf turns up and tells me we're destined to be together. Was their even such thing as fate?

"Say something" Paul whispered, his eyes dull and without the excitement they had when we met on the road. Oh, how I wanted to kiss him right now…but I was confused. I needed some time.

"Can we speak later, Paul?" I said quietly, avoiding his painful gaze and fiddling with my jacket, "I…need some time to think, clear my head"

He nodded in agreement and reached out to touch my hand gently, stroking his thumb over my knuckles and sighing heavily, "Ok" he agreed, a forced smile on his lips.

I nodded and turned to walk back to the camp, leaving Paul to his thoughts.

When I arrived, Jacob was waiting beside the camp fire for me. It seemed that everyone had decided to leave to give us some time to talk. Well, we had a lot to talk about. I gave Jake a shy smile before walking closer to where he sat.

Jacob glanced up at me when I drew closer, his eyes watching me closely, probably checking if I was ok. He stood up, a kind streak in his soft gaze. He understood.

"Jake, take me home please" I whispered, not looking at him but focusing on the creases in his shirt instead. I felt embarrassed at what had just happened and no doubt Jacob was aware of what had been said.

He nodded, a kind smile on his face and his hand outstretched for me to hold; I took it willingly and allowed him to lead me from the camp fire and towards his Rabbit, further and further from the arms of Paul.

My heart ached for him. I ached for his voice and touch. But I was confused; I didn't know what I really wanted. It was all too much to take in; I couldn't handle this at the moment.

We arrived at my house not long afterwards, both of us hungry and tired of so much drama. Whilst I went for a quick shower, Jacob ordered a pizza and when I finished, dressed and dried my hair I rushed downstairs.

Jacob sat on the sofa, two boxes of pizza lying in his lap already eaten.

"Where's Charlie tonight then?" he asked.

"He's sleeping, which means we have to be quiet" I replied smiling.

I laughed at the sight of my hungry friend, eyeing my box of pizza.

"Jacob, I probably won't eat all of it so have as much as you want if you're still hungry" I smiled, taking a seat beside him.

Not long later, we both sat with full stomachs on the sofa. Jacob had his arm slung lazily over my shoulders, flicking through the channels with little interest. A small smile graced his lips when I shuffled closer to his side, my legs hung over his without a care. I took a deep breath, inhaling Jacob's earthy scent and enveloping myself in his warmth. I felt so comfortable around Jacob; more comfortable than I felt around anyone, even Edward.

Now I thought about it, I couldn't quite understand what I loved about his cold skin and stony lips. He was a living corpse; not changing, not moving forward, stuck cold in a body of a seventeen year old boy. What had made me want to become that?

My eyes snapped to Jacobs peaceful face; he seemed unfazed by recent events. I expected him to make a fuss about Paul, but he hadn't even mentioned it. It wasn't like Jacob not to make a scene.

"Jake" I said softly, "have you imprinted yet?"

I felt him stiffen beside me, his eyes flickering around the room but not meeting my gaze.

"I won't mind if you have" I added quickly, noting how his arm tightened around my shoulder.

"No, I haven't imprinted" he finally replied, his eyes then glancing down into mine and holding my troubled gaze.

I nodded quickly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear and focusing my attention on the blank screen. I could feel his burning eyes on me as I spoke the words tugging at my heart.

"I don't think I want to be an Imprint, Jake. Especially when I only just met Paul"

He didn't say anything for a long time. The silence was haunting. I had probably been out of order saying that about one of his brothers, but Jacob was someone I always talked to. I knew I could tell him anything, even if it troubled him as well, we'd work around it together. Just lately, our hearts had been closed off even more than ever though.

I felt Jacob's heart beat thumping slowly in his warm chest. I pressed my ear up against it and closed my eyes, the slow thud calming me and giving me the friendly reassurance I needed. I felt a small tear leak from my eye and soak into Jacob's shirt. He must have known I was crying because his once tense arm soon curled around my body, holding me tight against him whilst his thumb drew soft circles on my side.

I swallowed a painful lump in my throat before whispering, "Somehow, before Edward, I always thought me and you would be together one day. It was expected of us and now it isn't possible…and I don't want to lose you" I felt a sob erupt from my chest and my trembling hand rose to clutch tightly at his shirt, pressing my face closer into his chest.

I heard Jacob sigh before raising his other hand to lift my chin and wipe the tears from my eyes, which were shining with tears yet to be shed. My face scrunched up involuntarily, another wave of tears hitting me as I saw the pain radiating from his gaze and enveloping me in a blanket of broken dreams.

He swallowed before speaking in a low, hushed tone. "Bella" he started, his voice faltering, "Imprinting isn't necessarily romantic. It can be sisterly love you feel or just love for a friend- at the end of the day, Bells" he paused a moment, stroking my cheek tenderly and leaning forward to graze a gentle kiss on my forehead before whispering, "I haven't given up hope."

I bit the inside of my cheek, trying to prevent my thick tears from muffling my speech. "You'll imprint one day, Jake" I replied sadly, my eyes dropping to the damp patch in his shirt which was gradually beginning to dry already due to his hot temperature.

"Imprinting is "fate"…what if we were supposed to break apart?" I continued, the truth weighing on my shoulders like a ton of bricks.

My attention was snatched when his fingers began to trail slowly down my cheek, across my jaw and gently down my neck, resting on the space above my collar bone. The heat of his fingers seeped through my skin; so different to the ice cold feeling of Edwards hands against my skin, chilling me to the bone.

"I will never hurt you, Bella" his lips were inching closer and closer to mine. I could taste his breath on my tongue- warm and sweet- and I didn't pull away. This was good, the right thing to do- I was _supposed_ to be with Jacob! If I hadn't met Paul, then I could be with Jacob- Paul was just holding me back, getting in the way of my happiness. I knew Jacob like the back of my hand; I didn't know Paul for shit!

"I promise" he whispered, then his lips met mine and the sensation I had been waiting for finally-… I couldn't feel anything. No spark, no tingle, no butterflies. I grew impatient. My hands ran through his hair desperately, pressing my lips harder into his until I felt him lean back- gripping my thighs so I was straddling him. I felt Jakes tongue flick against my bottom lip and I eagerly opened my mouth for our tongues to meet. I tried my hardest to trigger something inside me that would drive me to fall in love with Jacob Black and make mad, passionate love to him without feeling like there was a piece missing.

I froze when Paul's face appeared in my mind and I suddenly found myself craving the lips of someone else, other than Jacob.

I tore myself from Jake's embrace and stood up quickly, adjusting my clothes and feeling my cheeks burn with humiliation and guilt. Jacob gazed up at me with clouded eyes, his lips slightly swollen and desire adamant on his beautiful face.

I couldn't do this to him.

"Jake, this is wrong" I whispered, "I shouldn't have let it get this far"

Before he could reply, I lashed around and ran from the house and away from a stunned Jacob. Without thinking, I jumped in my truck and started the engine whilst pulling my phone from my pocket and calling Sam and Emily's home phone. Somehow, even though I hardly knew Emily, I knew I could count on her as a friend to go to when I needed help.

Reversing from the drive, I snapped my phone open and whilst speeding down the road I dialled the number. On the second ring, a familiar voice was heard from the other end.

"Hello, Sam Uley speaking" a deep voice said politely.

"Sam" I began urgently, "Do you know where Paul is?"

An awkward cough came from Sam before he replied gingerly, "Ah, Bella; I wondered when you'd come to your senses"

I should have been angry by the tone of his voice, but I didn't have time for his petty moods. "Look, I realise you and the pack aren't thrilled to hear Paul's imprinted on me of all people, but you'll have to deal with it" I said firmly, "please, Sam, tell me where Paul is"

Sam sighed but answered anyway, "Ok, he's gone back to his house. It's close to LaPush beach, just carry on going along the road that runs through the forest beside the beach and you'll soon find a log cabin. It's the only house there so you can't miss it"

A smile lit my features before I thanked him and hung up, driving crazy to my next destination.

My fist banged on the door of the log cabin, my eyes filling with tears for the hundredth time that night. My hand ached only after the third knock from smashing it on the wood so hard, but luckily I didn't need to continue knocking as the door swung open quickly revealing an agitated looking Paul.

My breath caught in my throat. My eyes widened. My hands clenched and unclenched. My heart sped like a humming birds wings and my tears stopped.

Why had I come here? If I had had a reason, I couldn't remember it. Was it to say something? Was there anything to say? After rejecting him so bluntly at the beach, how would he react to me just turning up at his door step?

The reality of the situation soon sunk in when his eyes failed to hide the shock he was feeling at finding me knocking on his door. I swallowed, our gaze glued to each other unable to move. His dark eyes crinkled slightly at the edges although I didn't know why. He might have been smiling, he might have been disgusted…he might have been upset but I wasn't to know because I couldn't bring myself to disconnect our intimate gaze.

This was the man I was destined to fall in love with, marry and even have children with. This was my soul mate standing before me. My fate the Quileute gods had chosen for me and not two hours ago was I denying my destiny and running from it. I was a coward. I had not accepted the inevitable.

In a sense, I had already cheated on him by kissing Jacob. No doubt he would find out, and I dreaded the moment he did find out. He would be crushed. As would I if I discovered my Imprint had shared an intimate moment with anyone other than myself.

My face scrunched up once again, tears now streaming down my face shamelessly. It didn't matter if I cried in front of Paul. We were supposed to open up to each other; have no secrets.

We were supposed to love on another without fail and as our gazes drew closer, I discovered why we had been chosen to live in harmony beside one another.

"Paul…" I whispered, throwing myself into his waiting arms.


End file.
